Inquisition’s control over theater in New Spain during the 18TH century

Ricardo Camarena Castellanos

INBA-CITRU
México, 1995.
254 p. (p. 7-183)

Taking primary sources –most of them from the Mexican General Archive of the Nation under the heading of New-Spanish marginal texts/inquisition: 18th to 19th Centuries— this study exposes “the principal control methodology imposed by The Holy Office on Novo-Hispanic theatre during the 18th Century”, over “performances, comedy companies, and scripts coming from overseas”. The Holy Office made its control effective through Auditors, Commissioners, and Consultants who applied diverse legal dispositions: edicts, instructions, censures, orders, and directions. The first chapter explains the cultural/ideological context of Novo-Hispanic society, the situation regarding the Holy Office, and the performances and shows in the principal cities and towns. The second chapter presents a “profile of the Auditor for the Inquisition”; it also includes some relevant events in Novo-Hispanic theater history; and, out from the auditor-court correspondence, the book gives conclusions on the criteria used to cleanse some plays. The last chapter explains this cleansing/permit methodology in order to control “comedy transit” from Spain to the Colony, and analyzes some cases of censures applied to plays of both religious and profane genres. The critical commentary includes data of documents about drama texts and auditors; transcriptions of edicts, accusations and informs to authorities; and reference bibliography.